On Friday 27th May our 109 Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate students graduated from Collinstown Park Community College.

At the morning Ceremony students were welcomed by their teachers, tutors and Year Head Ms Connolly. Subject and other awards were presented followed by a good breakfast! Students then planted trees to mark the occasion.

That evening Students and parents attended the formal Ceremony in the Collinstown Park Sports Hall. Ms Duffy the Principal spoke , congratulating students and parents on their achievement. Ms Friel, the Deputy Principal presented the Student of the Year Award to Orla Lynch and Seán Mooney and the School Ambassador Award to Hayleigh McGowan. Michelle Daly, Amy McCarthy, Hayleigh McGowan and Katelynn McGowan spoke on behalf of the students. Finally Ms Connolly , the Year Head spoke summarising their six years in school and wishing all the students every success in the future

Seán Mooney, Student of the Year 2016, with Ms Connolly, Year HeadStudent of the Year 2016, Orla Lynch, with Ms Connolly, Year HeadSchool Ambassador 2016, Hayleigh McGowan with Danielle Norman (last-year’s winner) and Ms Connolly, Year Head

Third Year JCSP students had a graduation Ceremony on Monday 30th May where they were presented with their Certificates which displayed their achievements in the Program. Parents, teachers and the students themselves got a great boost before their Junior Certificate exams.

Like hundreds of schools around the country, Collinstown Park celebrated Proclamation Day. Fourth year students produced projects on various aspects of 1916 in conjunction with English and History teachers. These were displayed for the whole school in the Assembly Hall. First years studied the Proclamation and then wrote a 21st Century Proclamation. These are on display around the school.

The culmination of the day was the raising of the Tricolour alongside our school flag and our Green Flag.

Sixth year students with their Leaving Certificate teachers went to Wicklow for their Study trip. This is part of their Leaving Certificate program and the project forms some of the overall marks in their Leaving Certificate Geography course. No student fell into the river although some got very wet. A great day was had by all.

The fifth year LCVP students visited the Glanmore Foods factory on Monday 7th March. Glanmore supply all our school lunches and school lunches to many schools around the country. The trip was organised by a committee from the LCVP classes.

Students found the trip very interesting and they have a heightened appreciation of all the work and care that goes into making their lunches. The students are preparing a Summary report on their visit which forms part of their Leaving Certificate portfolio.

Mr Dowling’s 2O English class attended a creative writing workshop on Monday the 7th March. It was facilitated by Fighting Words who were founded by celebrated Irish writer Roddy Doyle.

The experience was a very enjoyable one as a group dialogue exercise was followed by individual story writing. Under the watchful eye of very helpful mentors each student was able to use the dialogue exercise to create their own stories.

At the end of the session each student had the opportunity to read their stories aloud to the rest of the group. This experience will strongly help 2O’s creative writing in the future.

Third year students, as part of their CSPE course, organised a visit to Store Street Garda Station with their Tutor Ms Rainey and their Year Head Mr Reilly. They were shown all around the station by Chief Superintendent Patrick Leahy. They saw the interview rooms, medical centre and the cells and talked to a number of Gardaí about their work. Students found the trip really interesting. Now they just have to write up their reports!

The students in the Return to Learning Class visited the National Museum in Collins Barracks on Friday 4th March for a hands-on History Workshop. They got an introduction to the museum and then a workshop where they got to handle artefacts from the Museum’s stock. The student had to work out what each object was and to decide how it should be displayed. Following the workshop they were free to go around the museum to research items for their forthcoming history project. Some of the students had time to visit the -just open- 1916 exhibition in the adjoining building. The trip took place under the Guidance of Ms Janet Allen the History tutor.